Beginning A New Life: Come As You Are
Beginning a new life as a married couple, with the person you are madly in love with, is exciting. It is something that words can barely describe. It is something, that until you experience it, you don’t fully comprehend it.
This next month I am celebrating thirteen years with my amazing husband. My best friend. My confidant in Christ. I made this video for him for a wedding surprise. We played it before I walked down the aisle. Since you all missed it, I am inviting you all into our big day.
This is Us
Thirteen years ago. I look at those two kids and wonder who those people are. We have not only gotten older, but our lives are also very different. We now have three kiddos that keep us very busy. Our greatest conversations revolve around God as we discuss what He means in our lives.
In these pictures, I loved him but now I love him. He has my heart and is truly the other half of myself.
Before we got married, I never understood the verses used in marriage ceremonies.
The verses come from Genesis when God made Eve from the flesh of Adam and then Jesus teaches them again in Mark 10 about the sanctity of marriage. I naively thought they were just part of ceremony and tradition. Now they are real to me.
For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Mark 10:7-9
Now that I am married and have some years under my belt, I understand my husband and I are one, united by Christ. I am living this out in my life. As I chose to respect the man that he is and he chooses to love me for who I am, flaws and all. I know I was surprised I had so many, too.
The secret to My Heart
I want to tell you the secret to this guy snagging me. Although there were many wonderful things about him, there was this one thing that made him unlike any other.
When my husband and I first started dating, we would stay up at late at night and have long talks. We would share our lives with each other. Our hopes and dreams, you know all the mushy stuff.
It was that time in a new relationship when your past and ex-relationships may come up. You know the dreaded moment when you feel like you really like someone and the last thing you want to do is talk about anyone else.
Great Conversations
Honestly, I believe those things can be completely unhealthy for a relationship and if they need to be discussed they need to be of mutual benefit. Once something is said, and this goes for many things, it cannot be unsaid or unheard. And it takes absolute maturity to have that conversation.
Does your new interest really need to know about past relationships? Whether you said yes or no, why do you feel that way?
Even though I believe in honesty and transparency, some things just do not need to be said. It was not that I was trying to hide things from him. I just could not see how it would help us move forward. I was who I was in spite of my past. Treading that water was not of interest to me. Those people were not of interest to me so why did it matter.
So one night as we are in a conversation, he said to me, “I don’t need to hear about your past, about your exes and stuff you did. All of that has made you who you are and I like that person.” Awwwww! I know you are Awwwing with me right now, aren’t you!
What a Gift
This was beyond sweet. This was a gift. He was going to like me regardless of any history. Any baggage that I may have carried in.
He was mature enough to handle my past and I was of his. We just did not need to discuss it. It had no benefit. We would continue this path no matter our past.
Who was this man?
The gift that he gave me that day was whispered and treasured in my heart. Come as you are.
What would this mean for me and our relationship as we were beginning a new life?
What would that mean to you?
The One Who Whispers Come As You Are
This sweet phrase is some exciting news for all of us. God is an amazing Father that gives us that same exact gift. He says to us come as you are and let me love the person that you have become.
No matter our past or our current, God is willing to take us in just as we are. He is willing to love us in spite of who we are when we come to Him. Share on XFor a long time, I was afraid to face God. Even though I was a Christian, I was on the run. I was afraid to face the person that I had become. If I had only realized then His pursuit of me was with those exact words, come back to me as you are.
In Revelation, there are several beautiful pictures of Christ and the new heaven and the new earth being revealed as a bride to her bridegroom.
Maybe it’s just me, but when I attend a wedding, I always look at the groom as the bride is entering the room. There is nothing more revealing about the way a groom gazes upon his soon to be bride. The first moment when he sees her with fresh eyes is such a precious moment.
No matter how many times he has laid his gaze upon her, there is something about that moment. The moment his eyes connect with the beautiful bride that is about to become the other half of his one flesh.
A Perfect Picture of Christ
This is a picture of Christ. We are His bride. He looks at us with the greatest of love. He desires our oneness and our devotion to His heart.
Jesus offers us all this beautiful gift.
Revelation 22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.
Our past, as we walk down the aisle into our Father’s love, disappears. As far as the east is to the west when we repent and turn to Him, so far does He throw our sin away. He sees us as the beautiful bride adorned in His grace and mercy. Gazing at us through the scope of His Son, Jesus. He showers us with His Holy love and we become His.
God created the sanctity of marriage, the bond between a man and his wife and it is one that is not to be torn apart by human hands. (Matthew 19:6) It is a bond that is created in Heaven, even if it doesn’t always feel like it. Marriage is a gift and something amazing to be treasured.
Believers are the Church, the bride of Christ. This beautiful verse in Isaiah assures of God’s bond with us.
“From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand. No one can undo what I have done.” Isaiah 43:13 NLT
Do not let your situations from the past or from the present, or what you foresee yourself facing in the future keep you from coming to the Lord. He knows who you are and He loves you anyway. Hear His voice. See His Word. He says to all who all willing, “Come.”
Prayer for Meditation
Lord, I am in awe of the changed heart you have given me. In awe that you would know every detail about me and love me just the same. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for loving us in spite of who we are. For not turning from us in our hour of greatest need. Thank for simply inviting us in to come as we are and become yours. Adorned in your love. A love we don’t deserve but you freely give us. We praise Your Great Name, Amen!
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Beginning a New Life
I really love God’s design for marriage and the representation of Christ’s love for his bride. I did a deep study on Song of Songs a few years ago, and it changed my life. I loved the pic of you two looking like kids! This was fun, Jaime!
Thanks for joining us, Stacey. That would be a good study. My husband likes to share those lines to be funny but the admiration and love that is shared are admirable. The reality that marriage can be good and even great. Although hard at times, because we are two different people. Created uniquely, man and woman, it can also be lovely and amazing. A real picture of Christ to His bride. A bond that God created is certainly something to celebrate. So glad your here, friend!
Happy anniversary, Jaime, and somehow it seems just perfect that we’re back here sitting at your place and sharing during this special season. I love the way you connected the dots between God’s great vision for marriage and His redemptive work in a life.
Thank you so much for joining us here, friend! I love that each of you come and join us weekly. It is such a wonderful time for me. I have had some stuff to work through and am so glad to be back here sitting down with your stories as well. Thanks also for taking the time to comment and share your wisdom!
Beautiful post, Jaime. Thanks for sharing your special day and helping us to connect the earthly picture of marriage to the heavenly one. Great truths on which to meditate. Even when we have embraced our relationship with Christ, it’s easy to lose sight of all He has done in forgiving us. Blessings to you and your husband.
By the way, I’m sharing a pinning!
Thank you so much, Donna, I really appreciate that and you!
Thank you so much for that encouragement! I am glad to be able to bring you in our time. I think it is fun to hear other’s stories. Although, I don’t often share mine. My husband and marriage are certainly something to be celebrated. A holy union that is bound in heaven. I wish that was something that I had learned growing up. I always heard the do’s and don’ts growing up. Like no sexual relations outside of marriage and that you needed to marry a Christian. Although those things are so important, I never heard why. They are so important because God’s way is better. Because marriage is created in heaven nothing can be better than that. But I never remember hearing about the beauty that was created inside a marriage. The bond and the holy union, really becoming the other person, and the intimacy that God creates inside of marriage is beautiful. I wish I had heard the parts about God looking at us like His bride and the beauty of that can be reflected in our own lives. Thanks for joining us here, friend. So glad to see you!
Jaime – I absolutely loved watching your video. Thank you for sharing it with us. It made me smile from one ear to the other. I needed that. Congratulation on 13 years. You go girl.
“Come as you are.” I love that, and what a beautiful testimony not only to mature hearts but also to God’s true heart for us. Congratulations on 13 years!
Hi Jaime!
I loved this heartfelt inspiration about how much God loves us! It is so simple, yet such an important thing to remember!
Also, I just saw that you have a group board on Pinterest and I would love to join. I followed you, but Pinterest no longer allows you to message someone there unless they follow you too.
I would love to connect there. Just let me know what you need!
Jaime, what a powerful way to paint the picture of how Jesus accepts us! Thank you so much for sharing your story!
So glad you are joining us, Leslie. Jesus has painted a wonderful story in our lives. Sometimes, it just means seeing the extraordinary in what may seem ordinary. Blessings, friend!